A/N: I said Molly WEASLEY in previous chapter because she married rather early in life, and is engaged by now.

This is another summary for this story, it's a quote I quite like: Someday your prince charming will come. Mine? Oh, he just took a wrong turn, got lost, and is too stubborn to ask for directions.

I know
One day eventually
Yeah, I know
One day I'll have to let it all go
But I keep it just in case
Yeah, I keep it just in case

In case
You don't find what you're looking for
In case
You're missing what you had before
In case
You change your mind, I'll be waiting here
In case

You're looking in that mirror one day
And miss my arms
How they wrapped around your waist
I say that you can love me again
Even if it isn't the case

Ohhh
You don't find what you're looking for
Ohhh
You're missing my love
You don't find what you're looking for
In case
You're missing what you had before
In case
You change your mind, I'll be waiting here

-Demi Lovato, in case.

It had been two days since the Diagon Alley a good day gone wrong trip, as she know called it, had happened, and tomorrow she would be back in her second home. In Hogwarts.

Lily Evans quite liked hot chocolate, so if you asked her what she'd be doing if she found out the boy she liked was going out with some blonde ditz, she'd say drowning her disappointment in hot chocolate.

And now, if you think that's a bit childish, she would answer: "But of course, there would be marshmallows".

So, now you have your explanation for why Lily Evans was in the kitchen at half ten, with one hand reaching for a mug from the china cabinet, and the other fastened tightly on to a can of Cadburys' drinkable chocolate, while looking hungrily at the packet of mini marshmallows that she had left on the counter, spilling the little things of delight.

Unable to reach the spotty green mug that she wanted, (Of course she wasn't going to settle for a plain white one, duh!) Lily sighed. You'd have thought she'd have the sense to just take another mug, but she walked into the hallway.

It was a lovely little hall, cosy brown walls, dark red carpeting, a pretty chandelier with red diamonds hanging from it, and family photos and portraits clinging on every wall. All the doors were a darker-then-the-walls brown, with old fashioned knobs. One door, the third one from the kitchen, on the right, just before the stairs, looked a little older then the rest, and so it was. It lead down to the basement.

So Lily took that door, and flung it open.

"Hush up down there!" Shrieked Petunia, poking her head out from a door upstairs. Lily could just make out her sister, and she had a head full of multicolored curlers. "I am trying to get my beauty sleep!" She screeched, her voice at such a high pitch and so loud, Lily was surprised her parents hadn't woken up. But soft snoring came from upstairs, and Lily gave out a relieved sigh.

"Well, you do need it..." She said, quieter then Petunia but loudly enough. She pretended to think about it.

"Ugh!" Groaned Petunia, slamming her door shut with a bang. But no sound came from her parents room, even then.

So, relaxing, Lily looked at the door she had recently opened, and stared at the long way down to the basement.

Ah, the things I will do for hot chocolate...

She flicked on the ceiling lights' switch, and scowled when only three of the nine lights buzzed on. In fact, the stairs only looked darker and creepier.

Come on, Lily. Woman up! You are not afraid of ghosts, heck, you go to school with more then a hundred of them!

Taking a deep breath, she began to descend into the ever-delving darkness that befell delving darkness, getting a bit dramatic, eh, Lily?

It was so dark, and only the first, third and fifth lights were working. Soon she was on the eleventh stair, and all light was lost behind her. It seemed nothing could get much worse, when a noisy, very audible clatter was heard.

BOOM!

There was about five things that possibly could have happened;

A: Elderly Jenny Bloper had thrown another brick against their back garden wall. Mad old coot.

B: Petunia had dropped her make-up set. Again. I swear, that thing weighs a tonne.

C: Mum shoved dad out of bed in her sleep. It was a regular occurance in the Evans household.

D: The local animal shelter, which just happened to be across the road, had been tricked to set all the animals out of their cages again-

Wait, on the subject of animals...

Probability E: Petunia let Tulip out of room knowing about the crazy cat's habit on closing doors.

Yes, Tulip knew how to close doors. He'd learned as a kitten. All he did was go up upon his hind legs, paws in the air, and slam shut the door.

Smart, evil cat.

But Lily was thankful he couldn't turn off lights, too, because the light switch was beside the door, the hallway half.

Thank Merlin for small mercies.

So, Lily, though displeased about the closed door, continued to submerge lower and lower into her basement, under the reassuring knowledge that the door couldn't possibly be locked, since cat's just don't lock doors.

By the time she had reached the last step, she had counted at least ninety three steep steps. Lily let her eyes scan the dimly lit room. It was huge, boxes filled edges and old portraits that had started going brown lay in messy heaps. A dirt, overly heavy ironing board was leaning on an old cupboard.

There was a small blue stool laying abandoned in the left-hand corner, on top of it sat some crumpled up duvets along with a single pillow, missing its case, which her mother had left askew in hopes of bringing them the the laundrette soon.

The blue stool had been used in the bathroom when she and Petunia were to short to reach the taps to wash their hands. Petunia complained about it when she was taller, but her parents argued that Lily still wasn't big enough to reach the taps without it. Which was embarrassing, since Toony had been able to reach it at the age of four, while Lily only managed it at six. She'd always been small, or petite, as her mother called it.

But, then again, Toony's long neck was not something to be jealous of.

Grinning at her fortune to find it so soon, Lily picked up the stool and began dragging it up the steps after dumping the contents it'd had on top of it (The pillow and duvet).

You see, she planned to use it as a ladder to reach to spotty mug. It actually was an impromptu decision, as she had first thought to find some dusty box, but this stool was better, And safer, by a long-shot.

When she reached the top, panting, she realized something. There was not ninety three steps- there was one hundred and six!

Oh yeah, and the door was locked.

At first, Lily had just planted the sky blue object down on the step behind her and believed it to simply be rusty hinges causing the door not to open.

But even when she shoved at it with all her might, it still would not budge.

"Toony!" She hissed angrily.

Now, not to sound like a goody goody, but Lily knew she needed sleep before school. And she had hoped to get it.

"Mooooom! Daaaad!" She yelled at the top of her voice, but all it did was echo around her, increasing the creepiness of her basement.

A small, nagging voice in her head reminded her what her mother had told her a few ago, when the subject of making the basement the music room, since Toony played the flute, Lily the piano, and her father the guitar: The last owner of this house's son was a top notch drummer, and he used to use the basement to play since it had the most room. So his dad made the basement sound-proof, and it would be awfully handy to use it for your music, Lily, and you too, Petunia. Oh, and your dad is a little bit rusty on his guitar, too...

Uh Oh.

"TOO-NEE!" She yelled, knowing that while she and her parents were heavy sleepers, her sister was not. In fact, she was a very light sleeper.

After about half an hour, Lily gave up on screaming in fury, and settled upon getting at least a few hours of sleep.

So, sighing heavily, she departed from the top of the stairs, and, at her great misfortune, one by one, the remaining lights simply. Flicked. Out.

"Great," she moaned. "Just jolly."

She nearly tripped over the ditched stool, and swore loudly.

So, walking down the stairs in what was nearly pitch black lighting, she had the right to be a little paranoid.

Careful! I'm gonna fall, I'm gonna fall...

She somehow managed to reach the bottom of the stairs, ("Wrong again, there's a hundred and eight steps!") but completed her downward journey, by going downwards! AKA, she accomplished a utter stumble, and prolapsed...

onto a pile of dumped duvets and a single dropped pillow.

Thank goodness Lily wasn't one to tarry, or she may have carefully put those back, and when she fell later on, collapsed onto solid concrete!

Muttering obscenities ("No good bully, how dare she!?") at the sleeping Petunia, she organized the duvets so that she'd: be sitting on top of two (the floor was very hard, you couldn't blame her!); with a pillow beneath her head; and with the third and last duvet lay above her, keeping her warm.

She truly hated how Petunia could be happily dreaming about ruining Lily's life on a plush, comfortable bed, while Lily herself was a lay on a hand-made bed that wasn't exactly comfy, wishing forlornly for that warm cup of hot chocolate. The cause of her misfortune.

I mean, Toony was asleep, right?

'Cos, Lily was pretty certain she heard a very Petunia-like cackle when she was drifting to sleep...

She was in Hogwarts, and she was walking to get a broom, though she had no clue why, since she hated heights. She opened the broom-closet, and a couple fell out and onto the ground. A girl with blonde hair and an unknown color of eyes, since hers were closed, and she was kissing a good-looking boy, with scraggly jet black hair, a somewhat tanned complex and freckles on his nose.

It was Malorie Quirk, and to Lily's horror, she was kissing James Potter.

"You scumbag!" Lily cried.

James stopped snogging Quirk, and slowly turned to Lily. "It's not like it would effect you, as if you've ever cared."

Then the dream changed into her kitchen, and Petunia was laughing at her, and then she morphed into the demonic Tulip.

"And just since no boy's ever liked you and that it's unlikely one ever will, doesn't mean you must be jealous!" Said the cat mimicking what Petunia had told Lily the day of the Diagon Alley a good day gone wrong trip.

"No boy's ever liked you!" Echoed repeatedly. "And it's unlikely one ever will, unlikely, unlikely... jealous..."

The cat chuckled. "Lily, Lily, Lily, Lily! Ah there you are,"

Lily blinked her eyes open. It was not the cat, it was her- "Mum?" She said, then growled, remembering Petunia actions yesterday. "Mum, Toony lock-"

"You can tell me in the car, dear, oh do tell me your dressed!" Her mother told her, racing up the stairs in a flash.

Lily looked down at what she was wearing from yesterday. It was a bubble-gum pink and white striped tank top, and a pair of knee length denim shorts with torn knees.

"Er..."

"Just hurry!"

Lily looked one last time at what she was wearing, and sprinted up after her mum.

"Coming!" She called.

"Hurry up, now dear!" By the time she reached the hall, her mother was gesturing frantically to the door, but Lily ran past her.

"I'm getting my shoes and a new top!" She yelled, leaping three steps at a time. "So much... stair climbing!" She leaned against the top of the stair-case on the bannister, inhaling breathes greedily.

She jogged up into her room, and put a pair of white ankle socks on, which were followed by her pitch black school shoes.

She heard the ear-splitting honk of the family car's horn, took one last wistful look at the proper t-shirts, and one unhappy glance at her belly-showing tank top, before quickly leaving her room, kicking one leg over the bannister quite dangerously, and sliding down.

The conversation in the car would not be a pleasant one.

"Good luck, Lils." Smiled her mum as Lily departed from the green car.

"Your report was amazing last year, and we want a repeat for this year!" Her dad added sternly, though he had a proud gleam in his eyes.

"Bye." Murmured Petunia, glimpsing up from her muggle fashion magazine. "You look a little like Ruth Timber..." She said thoughtfully, her eyes scanning the page.

At the simple idea of fancy clothing and make-up, Lily blanched and excused herself, ignoring her mother's laughing smile.

I'm going back! I'm going home!

There was a girl with stringy brown hair, freckles all over her face and big chocolate brown eyes that reminded Lily of the hot chocolate she had wanted the other day.

"Lily!" Called Marlene, pushing her trolley over to her. "Are you OK," she asked in concern. "You look pretty worn out." She leaned closer. "Is it devastation from loss of Lames?"

Lily gave a weak laugh. "No, Toony locked me in the basement all night." Marlene gave her a look of pity.

"That girl's a beast." Lily nodded in an agreeing manner, remembering that evil cackle before she drifted into unconsciousness.

"How are you?" Lily asked. "We didn't talk much that day, Madam Malkin wouldn't let us! Nor the book shop lady, she and Madam Pince must be related!"

"This is a library!" Marlene scowled, imitating Madam Pince perfectly.

"I heard that she's Madam Pince SR, now. She's got a little girl called Irma, who's joining the school this year."

"Aw, I bet she's nothing like her mum, since she only sees her during the summer."

"Poor thing," said Lily sympathetically.

They made it to platform nine ten minutes later, and walked in between it and platform ten.

"You go first," ordered Lily, grinning in anticipation.

Marlene shrugged. "Okay." And stormed towards the column, closing her eyes shut tight. There was a beam on her face.

When she disappeared through it, Lily flashed a toothy smile and followed in pursuit.

When she opened her brilliant green eyes, she gasped as she had on her first day. Platform 9 and 3/4 was as alive and bustling as it had been six years ago, she thought to herself joyously.

Mouth wide as if she was eleven again, she made her way through the thronged crowds over to Marlene.

Marlene patted her on the back, and voiced Lily's own thoughts. "I'm so excited to be back! Like, I'm serious-"

"No your not," cut in Lily, humored a little at her friends confusion. "Your Marlene."

Marlene giggled. "Oh ha ha ha. You are quite the joker, Lily."

"No, that's Potter."

She snorted again. "Stop with the name jokes, Lily."

"Aha! You got my name right!" She joked teasingly.

"Hardy har har." Her eyes widened. "Look it's Potter!"

"Where?" Cried Lily, swirling around.

"Ha, you've got it hard." Marlene informed her.

"You dirty little liar, he wasn't there!" Said Lily indignantly, as she stopped searching for James.

"Hmph. Don't pretend you weren't desperately looking for him." Lily didn't answer, as expected. And Marlene smirked. "You are in the L-word."

"The L-word?" Lily questioned curiously.

"Love!" Sang Marlene.

"Oh look, it's Potter."

"Ha ha." Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm not falling for it again, Marlene."

"No really, it's him." Assured Marlene, her eyes fixed on someone behind Lily.

Lily turned around, and blinked. It was Potter.

He was sprinting, but not towards her. She watched, puzzled, as he went passed her.

His pace slowed.

One of the girls in a particular clique squealed, and tapped a certain Malorie Quirk, who turned and giggled in a high pitch voice to rival Petunia's.

Marlene shook her head and sighed. "You've lost him."

Lily watched in confusion as he walked over to the other girl, before whispering: "I never knew I had him."

James swaggered over to Malorie, confidence evident on his face.

She giggled, something he hated. Except when Lil- no more Lily thinking. He told himself, you're over her.

He attempted to kiss her cheek, but she pulled him in for a lip to lip snog. He almost needed to keep his nose from wrinkling. Then she tugged him in for a hug, and over her shoulder he could see Lily watching him in disappointment.

She's beautiful... No, Prongs, stop thinking abut her.

When Lily saw him watching her, she looked down, her cheeks went only a tinge red.

James nearly regretted breaking away from the hug, if only because he couldn't see Lily Evans anymore.

His girlfriend, Malorie Quirk, was saying something, but he wasn't listening all that much. He was all too busy trying to shake the image of Lily Evan's crestfallen expression, and as Malorie dragged him off in the close direction of her gawking friends, he muttered in an inaudible tone:

"It's not that I don't love you, it's just that I've finally figured out that you don't love me back."

And with one last glance at the girl he had grown to love, and back at the one he told himself he would grow to love, he sighed.

Made a decision.

And gave up on Lily Evans...

At least, he thought he had...

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